Bad Weather Disrupts Travel in Europe 2013

www.anglophonie.fr
page 1/3
Bad Weather Disrupts Travel in Europe
(BBC News, March 2013)
www.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/news/world-europe-21766663 >
The worst of the snowfalls may be over, but the wintry weather across northwestern Europe has left behind
disruption and destruction. Miraculously, nobody was killed when more than a hundred vehicles collided on a
motorway in Germany. Those who escaped unscathed say the weather was a key factor.
It all happened very quickly. Suddenly there was heavy snowfall coming sideways. That was the reason why
visibility was very limited. You couldn’t see anything in front. And when I hit the brakes, there was no
immediate response.
The accident happened north of Frankfurt. This was the scene of the city’s airport when the worst of the
weather hit. For a time the airport was forced to close completely due to the snow. Hundreds of flights were
cancelled. It was a similar picture at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris – delays and cancellations.
Departure boards making for depressing reading.
Travel by rail was also disrupted. Eurostar high-speed train services were suspended. Passengers in Brussels
found themselves stranded.
I’m supposed to be going on the Eurostar today to get back to London to see my daughter, who’s just given
birth to twins. But unfortunately, ah, my train was delayed for a long time and so now the Eurostar has also
been cancelled, ah, so now I am stuck.
At St.Pancras station in London the misery continued for Eurostar passengers – but some travellers found
ways to lift the mood. Eurostar says it expects to operate an amended timetable on Wednesday.
As in France, Germany and Belgium, this late blast of winter left much of southern Britain under a blanket of
snow. Unseasonably cold temperatures mean a widespread thaw could take some time. And on the Channel
Islands, experiencing some of the worst conditions in decades, all thoughts of spring have been buried.
James Kelly, BBC News
Vocabulary
1. may be over
2. wintry
3. has left behind
4. disruption
5. collided
6. those who escaped unscathed
7. heavy snowfall coming sideways
8. in front
9. when I hit the brakes
10. for a time
11. delays and cancellations
12. departure boards making for depressive reading
est peut-être terminé
hivernal
a laissé derrière lui
des perturbations
sont entrés en collision
ceux qui sont sortis indemnes
une forte chute de neige latérale
devant
lorsque j’ai ‘tapé sur les freins’, freiné subitement
pendant un moment
des retards et annulations
les tableaux d’affichage furent déprimants à lire
page 2/3
13. found themselves stranded
14. I’m supposed to
15. to get back to London
16. who’s (who has) just given birth to twins
17. I am stuck (stick/stuck/stuck)
se sont retrouvés naufragés
je suis censée
pour rentrer à Londres
qui vient de donner naissance à des jumeaux
je suis coincée / naufragée
18. ways to lift the mood
19. an amended timetable
20. this late blast of winter
21. mean a widespread thaw
22. experiencing
23. in decades
24. have been buried
des manières de remonter le moral
des horaires aménagés
ce souffle d’hiver tardif
signifie qu’un dégel général
subissant
depuis des décennies
ont été enterrées = oubliées
Bad Weather Disrupts Travel in Europe
(BBC News, March 2013)
Exercise: fill in the blanks with the correct words
The worst of the snowfalls _m______b_____o________, but the wintry weather across northwestern Europe
est peut-être terminé
has left behind _d__________________ and destruction. Miraculously, nobody was killed when more than
des perturbations
a hundred vehicles _c__________________ on a motorway in Germany.
sont entrés en collision
Those who _e_______________u_____________ say the weather was a key factor.
sont sortis indemnes
It all happened very quickly. Suddenly there was _h___________s____________ coming ______________.
forte chute de neige
latérale
That was the reason why visibility was very limited. You couldn’t see anything in front. And when I
h________the b_____________, there was no immediate response.
‘tapé sur les freins’ / freiné brusquement
The accident happened north of Frankfurt. This was the scene of the city’s airport when the worst of the
weather hit. _F________a_______t______ the airport was forced to close completely due to the snow.
pendant un moment
Hundreds of flights were cancelled. It was a similar picture at Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris –
_d______________ and __c_________________. Departure boards making for depressing reading.
retards
annulations
Travel by rail was also disrupted. Eurostar high-speed train services were suspended. Passengers in Brussels
found themselves _s_________________.
naufragés
page 3/3
I _a______s_____________ be going on the Eurostar today to _g_______b__________ to London to see
suis censée
rentrer
my daughter, who’s _j______g_________b________ to t___________. But unfortunately, ah, my train was
vient de donner naissance à des jumeaux
delayed for a long time and so now the Eurostar has also been cancelled, ah, so now I’m _s__________.
suis coincée
At St.Pancras station in London the misery continued for Eurostar passengers – but some travellers found
ways to _l_____the________m______. Eurostar says it expects to operate an a___________t___________
remonter le moral
horaires aménagés
on Wednesday.
As in France, Germany and Belgium, this late blast of winter left much of southern Britain under a blanket of
snow. Unseasonably cold temperatures mean a widespread _t_____________ could take some time. And on
dégel
the Channel Islands, experiencing some of the worst conditions __i______d_______________, all thoughts
depuis des décennies
of spring _h________b________b____________.
ont été enterrées